Marionette control frame and cord wind-up



Ma rch zs, 1933.

s. ADLER ET AL MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAME AND CORD WIND UP Filed March 4,1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS A/flo flzo A4TYZHUVEYC March 28, 1933.s. ADLER ET AL 1,902,933

' MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAME AND CORD WIND- UP Filed March 4, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 54 y; i mm 2 I INVENTORS ATTORNEY.

become tangled.

Patented Mar. 2 8, 1933 V UNITED STATES PATENT OF CE STELLA ADLER ANDCORA BARNES BLANK, or s'r. LOUIS, ivrrssounr MARIONETTE CONTROL FRAMEAND conn WIND-Ur Application fi led March 4, 1932 Serial No. 596,736;

This invention pertains to marionettes, or cord controlled puppets ordolls, and the principal object of the invention is to provide asimplified form of control frame or 5 handle for manipulating the cordsand to which the latter are attached.

A further object is to provide a convenient means for winding up thecords when the apparatus is not in use so that they will not A furtherobject is to provide in combination a control frame or handle for thecords of a marionette and means associated with the handle for windingup and unwinding the cords as desired, to the end that the said cordsmay not become tangled in the operation of the marionette;

Still another object is to provide a simple, two-pronged or forked frameor handle for controlling three essential cords of a marionette, to-wit:a central and rearwardly disposed cord for attachment to the head of thedoll,.and two lateral and forwardly disposed cords for attachment to thehands or arms and feet of the doll or puppet.

- part of the specification and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective viewshowing the simplified and two-pronged or forked form ;of the controlframe or handle constituting part of this invention, there being alsoshown 5 mounted thereupon another element of the invention in the formof a reel for winding up the cords, which are here shown as extended tothe head, arms and legs of the puppet or doll under control.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the; control frame or handle asshown in Figure 1.

I Figure 3 is an edge view of the assembly of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in perhandle of Figures 1 and 2,with theend por tions of the prongs or forks broken off, and

spective of the form of control frame or Figure 5 is an enlarged planview of the:

form of control frame or handle of the prep :7:

ceding figures, the end portions of the prongs or forks and a medialportion of the'handle being broken away. This view shows also anotherormodified form of cord wind up.

upon, the extremities of the device being broken away. 7

Figure 6 is an edge view on an enlarged Figure 7 is a plan view on areduced scale of the form of cord reel shown in Figures form of controlhandle.

Figure 8 is an under side plan view of a modified arrangement of theassemblies of Figures 1, 2, 8 and 6, the control cords in this viewbeing shown asdepending through eyes mounted at the said under side ofthe control frame. This view also shows a form of spring brake for thecord reel.

Figure 9 is an edge view of the assembly of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an edge view on an enlarged scale of the medial portion ofthe control handle as shown in Figures 8 and 9, showing the spring brakearrangement for the cord reel as provided in Figures 8 and 9;

Figure 11 is an edge view on an enlarged I scale of the medial portionof a control handle, provided with a modified form of cord reelassembly.

Figure 12 is atop or plan view of the structure of Figure 11.

Marionettes are generallyold, but so far as" known none of them employthe simplified control frame or handle which is here shown and claimed,nor do they employ any form of 'cord reel or wind-up. As a result thecords of these devices are easily tangled up and broken. 4 s, V

The essential points of control in a device of the kind here concernedare the head, arms and legs. This invention, therefore, comprises aframe 1 made'up of a handle 2 from the forward end of whichangularlyproject two arms, prongs or forks 3." A central or headaperture 4 is pierced through the forward end of the handle,immediately-at the vthen'wound upon the reel.

junction of the prongs or forks, and leg and arm apertures 5 are piercedthrough the extremities of the prongs or forks 3. Three control cords,including a head cord 6 and two leg and arm cords 7 are provided. Thehead cord 6 is attached at one end to the head 8 of the doll 9, as shownat 10, while theends of the cords 7 are attached at each side to thelegs, as shown at 11 and then at suitable spaced distances from theendsto the arms, as shown at 12. The .opposite ends of the cords are thenpassed through the said apertures of the frame, the head cord 6 throughthe central aperture 4: andthe' leg and arm cords 7 through the outerapertures 5. These cords may then be converged and knotted together at apoint 13 adjacent the central aperture' l, as shown in Figure 1, and thecombined strands 6-7 then wound upon J 20 some form of reel orwinding-up device 14,

'or the cords may be separately strung through eyes 15 mounted in theframe and As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3,6 and 7, the reel 14 comprises acommon form of spool rotatably anchored by means of a pin 16 to thehandle 2, and in this form ofreel a spring catch 17 is provided forlocking the reel against rotation when desired, one end of the springbeing seated in the handle at 18 and the other end being hooked toengage h-oles19 in the periphery of the reel.

In the use of the form of reel just referred to, it would be preferableto secure the ends of the cords to the reel at some suitable point, asshown at 20. Simple rotation of the reel would then serve to wind up orunwind the cords. In the form of reel or wind-up shown 'in'Figure 4, aslot 21 is formed longitudi- 40 nallyin the handle 2 andthe flat andnotched reel stick 14a is rotatably mounted therein upon the pin 16a,the ends of the pin being anchored in the margins of the slot as shownat 22. In this form a latch 17 a is pinned at 18a to the handle andadaptedto turn out over the reel stick to prevent rotation of same, asdesired. In the form of wind-up shown in Figure 5, spaced slots 146 arecut in the handle 2, one at the end thereof and the other at a spacedmedial point along one side. As

here shown, the three cords are knotted at 13a to a single draw cord6a7a, which may be then readily drawn or pulled up and wound up throughthe slots 14?), a button 23 being provided to hold the cord fromautomatically unwinding.

In Figure 7 is illustrated the application of the principle of the cordreel or wind-up 1 to a conventional form of frame 1a, there being hereshown five cords indicated at 24,

1 running to five differentpoints upon the frame. Obviously, theprinciple'fif the wind-v up here illustrated inseveral embodiments ofthe invention, may be applied toany required number of cords, as mountedupon any form of frame for the operation of any style of marionette.

As thus far described, and as shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, thereels or cord wind-ups are arranged for drawing the control cords upthrough the frame and over the upper side thereof. However, ifpreferred, this arrangement may be reversed and the cords may besuspended or strung through eyes 15a mounted in the lower side of theframe 1, the cords being then run back to the reel 14 also mounted atthe lower side of the frame. This reversed arrangement is fullyexemplified in Figures 8 to 12 inclusive. These figures also showvariant means for preventing the cord reels from'too freely unwinding,whereby the cords mightbecoine tangled. In Figures 8, 9 and 10, this isaccomplished by means of a resilient brake 17a having one end pinned at18a to the handle and the opposite end bearing frictionally at 19a uponthe inner flange of the cord reel. In Figures 11 and 12, a hole 25 isformed through the handle 2, and the reel pin16b,

is loosely passed through this hole. The

spring brake 17 b is anchored at 186 to the upper side of the handle,while the free end of the brake is extended over the hole 25 and isrigidly joined to the adjacent end of the,

pin 16?) as shown at 26. The reel 14 is then loosely mounted upon thefree end of the pin as extended through the handle; and is heldvrotatably in place by means of a disc or button 27 at the extremity ofthe pin16b. The

spring brake 17bwill normally hold the reel 14 frictionally against thehandle and pre- .vent the cords from loosely or freely unwindismanipulated in the customary way, and by virtue of the angular orbranching structure of the frame, it is found that the central or headaperture with cord extended down therefrom is located at just the rightpoint.

for properly controlling the head of the doll,

while the apertures at'the extremities of the prongswith cords extendeddown therefrom are located at justthe right points for controlling thelegs and arms. On thefother hand, the reel or wind-up devicehere provvided affords a very handy and convenient means for winding up the cordsand preventing their becoming tangled when the apparatusis not in use.

While certain forms and embodiments ofthe elements of the invention arehere shown and described, and are assembled as indicated, it isunderstood that the "same may be varied as desired in matters of detail,not departingfrom the spirit of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

We claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cordapertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positionedrelative to one another, three separate cords loosely strung throughsaid apertures, and means upon the frame for drawing up said cordsthrough said apertures.

2. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cordapertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positionedrelative to one another, three separate cords loosely strung throughsaid apertures, and means upon the frame for drawing up said cordsthrough said apertures and winding the cords up.

3. In a device of the kind described, a frame including a handleportion, the structure having three cord apertures pierced therethroughat points triangularly positioned relative to one another, threeseparate cords loosely strung through said apertures,

and a reel mounted upon the structure to which the ends of the cord areconnected.

4. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cordapertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positionedrelative to one another, means upon the frame for winding up cords, andthree cords strung down through said cord apertures and adapted to bewound up on said cord winding means.

5. In a device of the kind described, a frame having three cordapertures pierced therethrough at points triangularly positionedrelative to one another, two of the said apertures being locatedforwardly of the third aperture, three cords strung through the saidapertures, and means on the frame for winding up said cords through saidapertures.

6. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame for positioningabove the puppet, the said frame being pierced with a plurality of cordapertures, cords strung down through the apertures and attached at theirlower ends to the puppet, and means on the frame for winding up the saidcords through said apertures.

7. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame having aplurality of spaced cord apertures, cords strung through the aperturesand connected with the puppet, and means on the frame winding up thecords through said apertures.

8. A marionette assembly, comprising a puppet, a frame having aplurality of spaced cord apertures, a cord winding up means upon theframe, and cords strung through said apertures and connected at one sideof the frame to the puppet and at the other side of the frame to thewinding up means.

9. In a marionette assembly, a puppet, a frame having a plurality ofspaced cord apertures, cords strung through said apertures and connectedto said puppet, and means for frame, cords slidably connected to theframe,

and means upon the frame for winding up the cords.

13. In a marionette assembly, a control frame, cords slidably supportedfromdivergent points on the frame, and means on the frame for winding upthe cords.

14. In a marionette assembly, a control frame, eyes mounted upon theframe in spaced relation, cords extended through the eyes, and meansupon the frame for winding up the cords.

15. In -a marionette assembly, a control frame, cords depending from theframe and slidably connected therewith, a puppet having its extremitiesattached to lower depend ing ends of the cords, and means upon the framefor winding up the cords.

16. Ina marionette. assembly, a frame, cords depending from divergentpoints on the frame and slid-ably connected therewith at those points,the said cords being converged to a common point upon the frame andthereat again slidably connected'tothe. frame, and means u on the framefor winding up the converge cords.

17. In a marionette assembly, a frame, cords depending from divergentpoints on the frame and slidably connected therewith at those points,the said cords being converged to a common point upon the frame andthereat again slidably connected to the frame, means upon the frame forwinding up the converged cords, and a puppet having its extremitiesattached to the lower depending ends of the cords.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

CORA BARNES BLANK. STELLA ADLER.

